A Miraculous Divergence
by 7701DeathlyHalfBloodPrincess
Summary: In an AU where Marinette successfully gave Alya the earrings, everything seems to be going well for her. That is, until she stumbles upon a mysterious journal containing the secrets of Paris' superheroes. Would she be willing enough to enter the world of Miraculous once more, or would she falter and abandon her fate yet again? MARINETTE-CENTRIC. INSPIRED BY TUMBLR POST.
1. The Spellbook

**A/N: This is mostly just because I have time and I'm bored. Also because the newest episode has me shook, and then I saw an AU post on Tumblr where Marinette was successful in giving Alya the Ladybug miraculous, but she still stole the book from Lila because she recognized the Miraculous, then Master Fu has to hunt her down. When he finds her, she ends up being the one to giving the other miraculous to Nino and Chloe. Also, she sometimes joins in and Chat Noir recognizes her as the first Ladybug.**

 **DISCLAIMER: Miraculous Ladybug belongs to ZAG and Thomas Astruc. Also, the AU isn't mine, but I literally can't find the OP. If anyone knows who it is, can you tell me so they can get the proper credit for inspiring this fic?**

 **P.S.: As much as I love Adrienette and the love square, Marinette's decision basically delayed that and she doesn't really like him, but Adrien is still trying to be her friend...that sounds like every reverse Love Square fic, but this is solely Marinette-centric.**

* * *

Marinette smiled as she watched Donna Rouge swing through the streets of Paris on her trusty yo-yo. Her black and red suit stood out against sunny skies and worn brick buildings. Her brown-red ombre hair trailed behind her. Her joyful yells echoed behind her as the citizens of Paris watched in awe. Surprisingly, Chat Noir was not beside her; the mangly cat must have been busy doing something else, Marinette thought.

She turned back to her sketches. Her balcony was her favourite place in the world. Different plants were placed stylistically around it; some sat neatly in their pots, while others wound their way around the railings for support. It was her own private place, despite the fact that it was under the clear, blue sky. Besides, she could always keep an eye on the superheroes as they flew past. Sometimes they greeted her, sometimes they were too busy and headed for danger.

Biting her pencil, Marinette wondered about that life. She remembered her own short experience as the bug-themed superhero, Ladybug. Sometimes, she could still feel its power coursing through her veins, the feeling of the wind through her hair as she launched herself all across Paris. She sometimes wondered whether Chat Noir remembered her, remembered the clumsy girl who had saved the day, only to have messed up in the end.

Marinette sighed. It always came back to that, didn't it? She had told the little creature- kwami- that she wasn't capable. Thus, the day after, she had given Alya Cesaire the earrings under the guise of a token for their newfound friendship and left it at that.

As she predicted, Alya had done brilliantly. Confident, she led herself and Chat Noir to victory against the army of Stonehearts and the giant head called Hawkmoth. By the end of the day, barely anyone remembered that there had been a Ladybug before Donna Rouge, a name that roughly translated to Red Lady.

Now, Marinette watched over her best friend, giving her cookies or alerting her about the akumas that appeared around Paris through social media. Soon, Marinette found herself making an anonymous Akuma alert account. Not exactly a blog with juicy secrets, but it kept the citizens informed. Marinette had added on to her Akuma alerts with tips for recognizing an akuma, what to do to stay safe, and tips to keep positive. (She was flabbergasted at the average Parisian's lack of self-preservation when she realized people were trying to get footage of akuma attacks.)

It wasn't exactly running around as a hero, but Marinette didn't mind. This kind of heroism, the anonymous kind, was right in her comfort zone. She could help in the sidelines without the added burden of people's lives on her shoulders.

All in all, life was bliss.

Too bad it wouldn't stay that way for long.

* * *

The moment she saw Lila Rossi swipe Adrien Agreste's book when he wasn't looking, Marinette knew that the actress was trouble.

She had been in the library, cramming for assignments needed to be done when she saw the duo enter the library. They sat at a table near her, but Marinette didn't pay them attention. Ever since Adrien's first day at school, she decided that he wasn't worth fussing over, even though she had gotten over the gum incident a while ago. He was nice and a bit friendly after he clumsily apologized for the gum, but there were a lot of nice and friendly people, he wasn't that special. Thus, Marinette decided that her report on the French Revolution took priority. She had been in the middle of her report when she heard Lila say,

"You know, I happen to be very close friends with Donna Rouge."

Quickly, Marinette slid out of her chair and hid behind a cart to hear more clearly. What was Lila doing spreading lies about her friendship with Donna Rouge? Marinette bit her lip. She hated liars-especially ones that spread lies about her best friend, no matter how innocent the intention.

Naturally, Adrien was surprised. "Really?"

Lila smirked. "We can chat about it if you want," she said enthusiastically, her face inching closer to Adrien's. "Not here though. Why don't we meet at the park after school and I can tell you everything."

Marinette's jaw dropped. Lila had some kind of nerve. She understood that Lila was only trying to impress Adrien, but seriously?

She huffed. It wasn't exactly her business whether Lila lied or not. _But,_ Alya _was_ her best friend. Did being a best friend include defending their honour even when they didn't know they were being insulted? She didn't know. Alya was her first real best friend, after all.

Marinette sighed and peered over the books to catch a glimpse at them. Unfortunately, Marinette was insanely clumsy and managed to fall over the cart, books flying and sending it to the other side of the room. Fortunately, she hid under their table and avoided being seen. She heard the two gasp and Adrien stood up. Then, she heard a phone alarm.

"Hey, I got a lesson in... fifty-eight seconds!" Adrien exclaimed. Marinette heard the sound of shuffling books, before Adrien's bag dropped in front of her, his books spilling out of his bag.

"So," Lila trailed. "Wanna go to the park?"

As she said that, she slid off one of Adrien's books-a large tome with intricate designs on the cover- behind her. Marinette's eyes widened. Okay, that was strange, and unnecessarily cruel. Marinette knew that Adrien liked to keep things in order, in fear of his father's wrath if he did otherwise. Maybe Lila didn't know that, but stealing was bad regardless. Marinette pursed her lips and watched as Lila pick up the book when Adrien left.

"A vixen super heroine?" she mused. "Interesting." With that, she walked off, leaving Marinette to ponder on her words.

A vixen super heroine? And earlier, they had been talking about Donna Rouge. Could that mean Adrien's journal was about superheroes? Why would he have something like that? It sounded legitimate if it had an actual superhero in it. Maybe Adrien was a fan?

Marinette contemplated these questions as she got out from under the table and dusted her pants.

She had a feeling that that wasn't exactly the case.

Making a decision, Marinette left the library and headed to the park.

And headed back immediately to retrieve her things.

 _Then_ she went off to find Lila and Adrien.

* * *

 _Oh god,_ Marinette thought. _What have I done?_

She hadn't meant to do it. But she did it anyways. When she had finally spotted Adrien and Lila at the park, she had seen Lila throw away Adrien's journal in the trashcan besides them. Which was also the same trashcan Marinette was hiding behind. When they left, she had taken it out and leafed through it pages, confirming her suspicions.

This journal really was about actual superheroes.

The text was in a mysterious code that she couldn't read but she'd recognize the spotted heroine and cat hero anywhere. Even if it was an ancient Chinese version of them.

In a hurry, she ran out of the park with the journal in her arms. She headed straight for her balcony, leafing through the pages as she passed by. Her trepidation grew with every flip of the page.

When she finally slid against the railings of her balcony, she calmed down enough to process her own thoughts.

This was a disaster! This journal obviously contained the secrets of the Miraculous; kwamis, heroes, weapons, all of it! Imagine what would have happened if it had gotten in the wrong hands?! _Especially Hawkmoths's?!_ Mentally, Marinette cursed Adrien's carelessness. He may not have been a hero, but didn't he understand the importance of superheroes and their privacy? There was a reason they were wearing masks after all!

Sighing in frustration, Marinette set the book in front of her. She fingered the gold design on the book. It matched the red designs on the hexagon box she received with the earrings before.

Sighing again, Marinette deflated. What did it even matter? Now that she wasn't caught up in her own thoughts, she realized that there was no reason for her to be so worried. She left that superhero life for a reason. She had been incompetent and someone else- someone _better_ \- had to take up the mantle.

Marinette came to a decision.

She would keep the journal and hand it to Donna Rouge whenever she saw her next. That way, she could be sure it went into the _right_ hands and she could avoid suspicion that she knew Donna Rouge's secret identity. She felt a little guilty keeping it from Adrien, but he had already lost it once. It wasn't something she could really risk, because what if he lost it again?

Her resolve strengthened, she picked up the book and headed down to her room. She left the journal in the same drawer she kept her diary and headed downstairs. She headed for the couch and turned on the TV. What she saw shocked her so much she dropped her remote.

On the screen, footage of a vixen-themed superhero batted a meteor away from Paris and into space.

Marinette muttered a word her mother would wash her mouth for before updating her akuma alert.

 _Hey Parisians,_

 _Seems like a new superhero is on the scene. Friend or Akuma? Look out for updates on this new arrival!_

Seeing her own words made her heart drop. She wasn't stupid; she could connect the dots between this hero and Lila's fascination with the vixen superhero.

There was a new miraculous owner in Paris- Marinette just didn't know if her intentions were genuine or not.

* * *

 **A/N: This was meant to be a one-shot. The heck? Oh god, here we go. Another story with yearly updates. If you enjoyed that (or have criticism), feel free to leave a review.**

 **Also, if you know the person that made the Tumblr post that inspired this, _please tell me._ I want to give them the proper credit but I can't find them anywhere. **


	2. Welcome, Vixen

**Chapter Two**

 **Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favourited, and/or reviewed so far! This fic is getting me through my writer's block, so hopefully you guys enjoy the rest of it too!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Miraculous Ladybug belongs to ZAG and Thomas Astruc. Also, the AU isn't mine, but I literally can't find the OP. If anyone knows who it is, can you tell me so they can get the proper credit for inspiring this fic?**

 **P.S. I am totally not down for the characters being so oblivious, so the magic protects their identities thing is totally canon here. (I'd say it was canon in the show too but Alya figured out who Carapace was while he was in costume, so…)**

 **P.P.S. I only added a small detail about their seating arrangements in their classrooms that will make sense later on. Sorry if it said I updated.**

* * *

Marinette didn't know what to think of Volpina-Lila's new super hero persona. She saved the day, sure, but the lack of akumas that came in the days ahead were _suspicious._ She wasn't sure whether to be glad or not, but Volpina soon took claim as Paris' new sweetheart. Saving the day from meteorites, exploding buildings, and other such glamorous tasks, but never akumas.

In fact, Marinette thought, as she scrolled through her blog, neither her nor anyone else had seen an akuma since Volpina came to scene. She didn't know whether to be glad for the lack of akumas or be suspicious that Volpina's arrival seemed to have eradicated the blasted butterflies.

Marinette watched from across the room as Adrien sat alone for once; Lila was nowhere to be found. What happened after they left the park, Marinette wasn't too sure, but it looked like Lila held grudges against Adrien _and_ Alya somehow. The last time she had been in the same room with Lila and Alya, Lila had stormed off. Moments later, Volpina was seen storming out of the school.

Marinette rolled her eyes. Lila may act coy, but she wasn't subtle.

Beside Marinette, Alya lay her head down on her desk dejectedly. Marinette glanced at her in pity.

That was another thing. With the lack of akumas, Alya's usually energetic disposition had calmed down by a lot. She didn't look as tired anymore, or asked for as much cookies, but she was deflated; looked like she had lost all sense of purpose. Marinette chanced a glance at Alya's bag, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tikki.

It was futile, Alya was more secretive than she would have been. Thus, Marinette re-focused her attentions on the board.

That's when a swirling tornado of black butterflies barged into the classroom, shattering the windows, and headed straight for Alya.

Marinette froze as she watched the butterflies swallow Alya's entire being as she reached out, trying to escape. Her screams were muffled by the flapping of butterfly wings. It was only the last second that Marinette moved and swatted at the butterflies.

"Alya!" she screamed.

She was too late.

The akumas swirled out of the room from the window where they came. Wasting no time, Marinette grabbed Alya's abandoned bag and rushed out of the classroom.

"Where are you, where are you?" Marinette rambled as she rifled through the bag's contents. Notes flew behind her as she rushed to the front of the school. Marinette was heaving, her breaths short, quick, and many. She stopped at the stairs of the school, panicking even more. She wasn't sure where Alya was taken anymore. And the one person who could save her couldn't.

Marinette's eyes gleamed when she spotted a red blob in the innermost pocket of the bag.

"Tikki!" she exclaimed, for the first time, happy to see the red kwami.

Tikki looked up at her cautiously. "What are you doing? Where's Alya?"

"She's gone! A bunch of butterflies took her away!" Marinette lifted Tikki to her face-level. "What can we do? Donna Rouge can't purify the akumas without you!"

Tikki remained calm and stared at Marinette with wide, blue eyes. "There is a way we can help."

"How?!" Marinette exclaimed.

"You'll have to follow me. Then, you have to guard this secret with your _life._ "

Without hesitation, Marinette nodded.

There was no way she could let Alya down now.

* * *

"Tikki, are you sure we're in the right place?" Marinette asked, staring at the paper-pane door in front of her. Chinese lanterns hung from both sides of the door frame. The buildings beside it were less glamorous than what tourists would expect since they were in a part of Paris' lower middle-class sector.

Tikki turned around to face her. "Trust me for once. _Please._ "

Marinette's heart felt a sting. Tikki probably felt betrayed at being handed off to someone else without her permission. For the first time, Marinette regretted not keeping the earrings.

She sighed. "Okay."

Tikki blinked once, then gave her a small smile. "Just enter through the door. He's probably been waiting for you."

Marinette gulped. What was that supposed to mean?

Nevertheless, she said she would trust Tikki. So, taking the doorknob in her grasp, Marinette twisted it and pulled the door open.

Inside was an oriental Chinese designed room. Herbal scents wafted through the air, but Marinette couldn't help but feel more tense. In the middle of the room, a short man with balding, gray hair sat on a mat. The creepiest thing was that he was staring right at her with narrow brown eyes. A shiver went up her spine when she saw the small turtle floating beside him.

A kwami.

Her breath hitched and she almost staggered out of the room. Only the image of Alya being engulfed by akumas gave her the motivation to step forward.

Tikki had already flown towards the man, explaining the situation.

"The new Chosen was taken by akumas and we can't purify them without the Ladybug Miraculous!"

The man closed his eyes in thought. "This is more grave than I thought."

Marinette gulped and clenched her fists at her sides. "What can I do?" She asked.

The man's eyes opened and locked on her own. "You have already proven that you can not handle a Miraculous. There is nothing you can do."

"Alya is my best friend! I'd do _anything_ for her!" Marinette exclaimed, stepping forward and placing a hand on her chest. "Right now, Alya and Donna Rouge are MIA. If it's the only option-!"

"Perhaps she could be paired with another kwami temporarily, Master," the turtle kwami said.

"Please," Tikki pleaded. "We can't do anything against Hawkmoth while Alya stays inactive."

The man fingered his beard in thought. He stood up, and walked over to the old phonograph at the back of the room, pressed a few buttons, and brought out a large chest.

Marinette's eyes widened as she scanned the red markings on the ornate box.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Her eyes snapped to the old man when he said her name. "I will give you one more chance to prove yourself worthy to be a hero."

She watched as compartments pulled out of the box, each compartment containing jewelry, except for a few at the top. The top only contained a bee-themed comb and a suspiciously familiar looking necklace.

Marinette's eyes widened. "That's not possible."

The man raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were willing to do anything?"

Marinette shook herself out of her stupor. "I am! I just meant that that necklace shouldn't be there!" She exclaimed, pointing to the fox necklace.

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The new girl in our class, Lila, has that necklace. She's the superhero Volpina."

" _That_ is not possible. I am the sole Guardian of the Miraculous. What your classmate has is a fake."

Her eyes widened. "But, that would mean-,"

Tikki nodded. "Yes. Lila _has_ to be akumatized. That would explain why Alya was taken."

Marinette turned to face Tikki. "What do you mean?"

"Alya angered Lila when she confronted her about the lies she was telling Adrien and other people in the city about Donna Rouge and her. It happened about a week ago, right before Volpina appeared."

"But what about the akumas that took Alya?"

"If the akumatized version is the same as the original, then she has the power to create and unveil illusions," Master Fu explained.

Marinette couldn't help but laugh at the irony. What a fitting power for a liar like Lika.

She took a deep breath, then picked up the fox necklace. She stared at the old man, determined. "It's time for this fox to go back to its den."

The old man nodded. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You will be lent the power to create and reveal illusions with the fox miraculous." Then, his voice sharpened. "On one condition."

Marinette stiffened.

"Make sure to return the Fox miraculous after your task is done. There is no need to have any of the Miraculous fall into the wrong hands."

Marinette's eyes narrowed and she nodded. "Got it.".

Taking the necklace in both of her hands, she slipped on her neck, and a bright, red-orange flash of light surrounded her. A part of her already regretted taking up the mantle of a hero again. Doubts flew around her head as the orange light blinded her vision. When the light dissipated, there was a fox kwami, their purple eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Heya kit! I'm Trixx! Nice to meet ya!" They greeted, lending out their paw.

Marinette shook it with her finger.

"What do I say?" she asked, feeling the multiple threads of her anxiety and dread crawl up her throat.

Trixx twirled around and exclaimed, "Trixx, let's pounce!"

Marinette took a deep breath, and focused her thoughts on saving Alya. Alya needed to be saved. Lila needed to be stopped. After, her life would be normal again.

"Trixx, let's pounce!"

A second later, a fox heroine stood in her place. Her costume was similar to Lila's, but her ears were slimmer, the orange more bold, the black was lighter, and the gradients in her costume from white to orange to brown were more gradual and blended. Her tail attached to the backside of her suit, trailing behind her like a cloak. She lightly held the flute that materialized in her right hand. The course of magic that ran in her veins was familiar, yet strange. It was like coming to her house and finding that someone had taken something very significant. She just couldn't tell what it was.

"How is it?" Tikki asked.

"It's," Marinette started, staring at her gloved hands. She glanced at her feet and was glad that she had gotten light boots this time. "Weird. Like I know what it feels like but it's wrong, somehow."

The old man hummed. "That is because you are most suited for the Ladybug Miraculous."

She froze, her hairs standing on end. Her expression darkened and she headed for the exit.

"Don't be mistaken. After this, I'm not going back to this life. I'm only doing this for Alya."

The man bowed his head. "If that is what you wish."

Tikki watched her with large, teary eyes. When Marinette left, she followed her dejectedly.

It seemed that the Ladybug Miraculous would not reach its full potential this time.

* * *

 **A/N: I was going to write more of what I had planned out, but this was kind of a lot of information at once. No worries though, this didn't drag out for so long that Volpina already got to Alya and Adrien or anything like that.**


	3. The Ladybug's Demise

**Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favourited, and/or reviewed so far! This fic is getting me through my writer's block, so hopefully you guys enjoy the rest of it too!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Miraculous Ladybug belongs to ZAG and Thomas Astruc. Also, the AU isn't mine, but I literally can't find the OP, but since I** _ **still**_ **can't find them, I'm just going to say I was inspired by that Tumblr post I still can't find.**

 **P.S. You know what the best part of this show's lack of continuity is? I can technically, just rearrange the order of episodes even if they happened in a different season ;)**

* * *

"WoOoAaH!" Marinette screamed as she accidentally jumped too high and too fast for her to comprehend. Her legs scrambled in the air as she tried to land on non-existent solid ground. This was not going to go well. One of her feet made contact with a solid surface for a second before she launched herself again accidentally towards the sky. How was she supposed to control this thing?

 _Oh god, oh god, oh god. Oh god. OH GOD._

This was so much worse than the yoyo. Wind whistled past her as she descended rapidly; Paris' rooftops becoming more visible to her. Oh my god. She was going to splat onto one of those narrow chimneys wasn't she?

Marinette couldn't speak, couldn't even think. At this point, she was surprised she was still alive.

"Marinette!" Tikki squealed as she flew faster towards her.

Suddenly, she skidded onto a rooftop and she ended up dangling over the ridge of the roof Miraculously, she was alive, although her body numbed with pain. Maybe it was the poor kwami helping her ease the pain; or maybe the fall really screwed up her brain to beyond recognition.

She groaned as she stood up and dusted herself off. She surveyed her surroundings, glad that everything still seemed clear, no double vision or anything like that. Unfortunately, she couldn't see any sign of a swirling tornado of evil butterflies. Or cats in leather suits and imposter foxes.

Tikki floated in front of her. "Are you ok?"

She nodded tiredly. "How am I supposed to control this?!" she gestured to herself. She sighed. If it wasn't for Alya, she may have given up.

Tikki observed her slouched form. No. Tikki could not accept this- not again.

"It just takes practice, Mari- Vixen." Marinette glanced up at Tikki despairingly. Tikki continued. "Who else would save Alya if you don't? Chat Noir might not know something's wrong and Volpina's an akuma! Pull yourself together!"

Marinette's scrunched her nose and squinted her eyes, renewing her efforts in her search. That's right. Alya was gone and Volpina was an akuma.

A slither of icy realization ran down her spine. Without Donna Rouge and Chat Noir, Paris was in the mercy of Hawkmoth and Volpina. Exhaling through her nose, Marinette closed her eyes, bent her knees, and leaped.

She soared through the air once more. This time, her trajectory was steadier, and she was calmer. Her pigtails cascaded in flowing bundles in the wind, the buzzing of the Parisian city life whizzing in her ears. A tingle of warmth spread throughout her body. Marinette smiled as she leaped again, her distance becoming longer with each jump.

 _She could do it. She_ had _to._

Marinette leapt throughout the city until she ended up on a narrow ledge just behind a chimney. She stumbled a bit before she regained her balance, but luckily she had stumbled onto the duo she was just looking for. Tikki wasn't with her at the moment, but she had to trust that she had hidden somewhere safe.

Chat and Volpina crouched at the ledge just in front of her, facing the vast sprawl of buildings in front of them. They exchanged hushed whispers, and Chat was pointing at one of the buildings in front of them; Vixen wondered what a man in a purple suit had to do with anything. Her breath stifled when she heard what they were talking about.

"Maybe we should wait for Donna," Chat whispered to Volpina beside him.

She bristled and shifted towards him. "Are you kidding me? And let Hawkmoth get away?"

Vixen gasped loudly and the two superheroes stood and turned towards her. Volpina glared at her the moment she saw her, while Chat stared between the two, his mouth agape.

"Who are you? And _what are you doing here_?" Lila hissed and pressed forward, as if she was going to pounce at her.

Vixen took a deep breath and stood tall and glared at her. "The question is, what are _you_ doing here, _Lila_?"

Vixen heard Chat's muffled gasp. Volpina narrowed her eyes more and stepped back into a defensive stance, her flute at hand.

"Don't trust her, Chat Noir. Hawkmoth obviously sent her to distract us," Volpina said, gripping Chat's arm. Vixen spared a glance at him; his shocked face morphed into one of recognition, then anger.

"I recognize you." His eyes never left Vixen's, but slowly, he inched closer to Volpina. "You're the original one."

"Chaton…,"

"What are you doing here?! I thought you were gone!" He shouted, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Vixen couldn't breathe. His words tore through her, his anger crushed her spirit. She had only been a hero for a day and it hadn't been too long ago that she had left, hadn't it? A month at the most. Long enough to forget. And yet…

"I'm sorry, I-," she couldn't finish her sentence before Chat interrupted her.

"She was the holder of the Ladybug miraculous before Donna Rouge. I don't know why she's back but, _I don't trust her._ "

Volpina's eyes widened and glanced at Chat beside here before gazing confidently at Vixen and giving her a slow smirk.

"Is that so? Did you get mad that there were three more competent heroes than you?" Lila asked, her lips twisting into a fake pout. "Got so jealous about leaving your chance- so upset that Hawkmoth akumatized you to become a hero again?"

Lila walked up to Vixen and lifted her chin with her finger. Vixen let out a shuddering breath as she mustered the courage to speak.

"Actually, the only akuma here is _you_ , Lila. Worried Chat will figure out you're actually teaming up with Hawkmoth, huh?" Marinette spat out, trying to keep her voice levelled. She turned to Chat. "I'm here because I have news that Donna Rouge is in trouble."

Chat's eyes furrowed. "Why should we trust you? I couldn't even trust you to stick around."

Vixen gulped, shoving aside the truth to his words. She glanced at Volpina's victorious smirk and turned back to Chat.

" _Please._ Why else do you think Donna Rouge isn't here? Why do you-?"

"Because!" Volpina said in a boisterous voice before Chat could answer, shoving Vixen onto a chimney stack. "You're trying to lead us into a trap, aren't you? _You_ ' _re_ the one who kidnapped Donna Rouge and now you're trying to capture _us_ so Hawkmoth can take our Miraculous!"

Marinette shook. This girl was grating on her last nerves. "Why would I want to do that, _Lila?_ All you are is a liar and-!"

She was shoved even further into the wall, Volpina's nails digging into her shoulders. "Give up." She hissed. Leaning towards her, she whispered, "You're going to regret doing that."

With a final shove, Vixen crumpled onto the gravel roof, her back sore from the force. She could hear Volpina say something to Chat Noir before they both flew off into the Parisian skyline.

Vixen's form shuddered. Fortunately, the suit really did seem indestructible. Although. Vixen thought, she should really try and avoid getting hurt like that as much. Who knew Lila was so aggressive?

Tikki rushed over to Marinette and brushed against her gloved hands. "Are you okay?"

Vixen nodded. She sighed and gave the kwami a tiny smile. "Well, that didn't work."

Tikki lowered her head in despair. "What if we don't find her?"

Vixen softly patted the kwami's red tiny head with the palm of her hand. "We have to find her. Alya's stronger than you give her credit for. I don't think I could've trusted her otherwise."

Tikki looked up, surprised. "More than you trust yourself?"

She closed her eyes, remembering that first day of school. Alya was a new student, and unwilling to back down from Chloe. Like fire, she had thought when she saw her first. She realized how much that fire burned when Alya had told her,

 _"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil-"_

"Is that good people do nothing."

"Huh?" Tikki asked, concerned.

Marinette turned to Tikki. "That's how I knew I could trust Alya. She said, 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.' That's why I could trust her. When I couldn't stop Stoneheart, I knew that _she_ could. So yes. I trust her more than myself to be the hero Paris needs."

Tikki's eyes widened. Her head hung low. "Does that means you won't be Ladybug again?"

Vixen shook her head. "I'm sorry. I know my limits." Vixen exhaled and stood up. "Come on, we still need to find Alya." She walked to the ledge where Volpina and Chat once were, searching for any signs of akumas.

Tikki flew up to her.

"I'm sure you would have been an amazing Ladybug too."

Vixen kept her eyes on the skyline, and Tikki wasn't too sure if she heard her.

They headed off when they saw a lone orange form in the distance headed for the catacombs.

* * *

 _Where was she?_

Alya groaned as she slowly woke from her slumber.

 _What had happened_?

She rubbed her eyes and opened them, only to see the world as a dark, giant blur. She made a sound of annoyance before she started feeling the ground to see if her glasses had fallen off.

 _The flaps of butterfly wings._

Alya grunted when she couldn't feel anything but the stone ground within her vicinity. Bits of her memory came back to her as she scrounged the ground. Where could she be? She was somewhere inside, but maybe not? She was on a cold rocky floor with too much rock residue for it to be anywhere in a residence building. Maybe an abandoned one?

 _She was floating-_

"Don't even think about it." A voice snapped in the silence. Alya looked up to see a blurry outline of a person. She was sure she recognized her voice-but from where?

"Are you looking for this?" The voice taunted. Alya stayed silent. She wasn't going to play any of this person's games.

"Hm. Fine. I suppose you can have it."

There was a clatter in front of her, and Alya made a desperate grab of it, but she could feel nothing. The person's laugh echoed throughout the chamber.

"Did you _actually_ believe that? Ha! I'm sorry but I can't have any witnesses."

Alya gulped. "You're an akuma."

The person chuckled. "Clever girl."

"What do you want with me?"

The person- maybe it was a girl? Alya thought- stayed silent before chuckling again.

"Let's just say, it's more beneficial for me that you stay quiet."

"So you want me gone?"

"A bit vulgar. But yes."

"Donna Rouge and Chat Noir will save me!" Alya gulped. She wasn't too sure if Donna Rouge could save anyone at the moment, but Chat Noir would _surely_ notice her disappearance.

"I have sources that tell me that Donna Rouge won't be saving anyone soon. And Chat Noir is...preoccupied."

Alya's eyes widened. Fear ran throughout the course of her body. Did this stranger know anything about her? But how-? There shouldn't have been anyone else that knew about her. She had done everything to keep anyone from knowing! And what did they mean about Chat Noir? Was he in danger somehow? Alya bit her lip. It was probably a ploy. As a journalist, she knew how often the diction of phrases could lead to the unfurling of secrets.

"Of course they will! They're Paris' superheroes!" Despite the circumstances, Alya couldn't help but feel proud that she could claim that title. Be like Majestia, like that Ladybug superhero before her.

This time, they roared in laughter, their laughter piercing her ears, making her head hurt. When they stopped, they bent over and neared Alya's face. She couldn't see anything through the dark but glowing green eyes. "Every hero has their kryptonite, _chica_."

Alya gulped. She didn't like the truth in their statements. It didn't help that this person's eyes resembled the fictitious mineral. She had never seen herself or Chat Noir as vulnerable before. Not even when she had lost him when Timebreaker attacked.

The person- Alya was pretty sure they were a girl now- made a satisfied sound.

Alya clenched her fist. Just as they were about to pull away, Alya pulled back and punched as hard as she could.

Her hand punched through nothing once more. Orange smoke filled her vision, and she heard another clatter to the ground. Quickly, she scrambled to find the fallen object. To her relief, it was her glasses. When she grabbed them, she noticed they were bit dusty and one of the glass had a major scratch.

She signed resignedly. That wouldn't be a problem once she transformed into Donna Rouge.

Alya called out for Tikki but no response came. No pink flash of light.

Alya's heart dropped.

No Donna Rouge.

She huffed. It seemed like Alya Cesaire had to save herself today. No matter. Once she could find a way out of here, she'd make her way back to school and transform.

Somehow.

Thrills of excitement tingled in her bones. After a week of inactivity, this excited her- as much as it scared her, but just as well.

She cleaned her glasses then made her way through the dark stony corridor. There had to be a way out. There always was.

At least, she hoped so.

* * *

 **A/N: Whoo boy! A month of inactivity and I'm back! I really like this chapter actually. The beginning's a bit wonky, but by the end I have a more concrete idea for the Volpina arc (and the rest of the fic). I really hope that I didn't make it too dramatic for the third chapter, but I wanted to set everything up early instead of putting a bunch of filler. I wasn't too sure about the POV switch because it was supposed to be Marinette-centric, but I suppose another round of Vixen just running around a bit clueless for another page or two would have been a bit boring. Don't worry, we'll be back to her POV the next chapter!**


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